Paperman Media (Bhubaneswar )- Biju Janata Dal Vice-President and former Minister Shri Sanjay Kumar Das Burma has expressed profound grief over the tragic death of a devotee in yet another unfortunate incident during the Bahuda Yatra in Puri. He stated that this is yet another painful example of the Odisha Government's continuing administrative failure in managing the world's largest annual spiritual congregation.
Shri Abhiram Das (57) of Cuttack lost his life in a stampede that occurred in front of Maa Subhadra's chariot, Darpadalana, near Bagala Dharamshala. He was initially administered first aid at the Bagala First Aid Centre and was subsequently shifted to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where doctors declared him dead. While the wounds of the tragedy that occurred during the Rath Yatra are yet to heal, this fresh incident has once again exposed the administration's inability to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain orderly crowd management.
Shri Das Burma further stated that 102 devotees, who either fell ill or sustained injuries on the Bada Danda during today's Bahuda Yatra, have been admitted to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital. Among them, 24 devotees are in critical condition and are undergoing treatment in the Trauma Care Unit. These alarming figures clearly indicate that the administration has learnt no lessons from the previous tragedy and that its negligence and mismanagement have once again placed the lives of thousands of devotees at risk.
The Biju Janata Dal strongly condemns this administrative failure and demands that the Government immediately announce adequate compensation for the family of the deceased devotee. The party also demands that all critically injured devotees undergoing treatment in the Trauma Care Unit be shifted without delay to advanced super-speciality hospitals in Bhubaneswar and be provided with the best possible medical care.
Shri Das Burma stated that while the double engine Government continues to claim that it has ensured a flawless and well-managed Rath Yatra, the repeated occurrence of such tragic incidents has not only brought embarrassment to the people of Odisha but has also diminished the sanctity and dignity of this sacred festival. He urged the Government to set aside its arrogance, acknowledge its shortcomings, and work with sincerity so that the forthcoming rituals of Suna Besha, Adharapana, and Niladri Bije are conducted safely, peacefully, systematically, and with the dignity befitting the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
The Biju Janata Dal further demands that the State Government immediately order a judicial inquiry into all deaths and injuries caused due to stampedes and failures in crowd management during both the Rath Yatra and the Bahuda Yatra. Such an inquiry must fix responsibility for the lapses, identify those accountable, recommend appropriate action against the guilty officials, and suggest comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents in the future.
